In medium wave radio broadcasting, broadcast audio signals (radio program) are produced in a studio with studio equipment and transmitted to a transmitting station with a transmitter via a relay device. In the transmitting station, AM waves are generated with the transmitter and sent to a certain broadcast service area.
Meanwhile, transmitters adopt control technique for blocking AM wave outputs for a short period of time in case of occurrence of anomaly such as stroke of lightning and release thunder energy to the ground (grounding), for example.
This is intended to prevent destruction of a transmitter (especially an amplifier) by the thunder energy. AM wave outputs are blocked for a short period of time for the purpose of blocking continuation of a load short circuit state (follow current) generated by the thunder energy.
For example, Patent Literatures propose a technique to monitor a standing wave ratio (SWR) or discharge light and to block AM wave outputs for a short period of time.
As described above, conventional transmitters include a mechanism to block AM wave outputs for a short period of time upon occurrence of anomaly such as a stroke of lightning to protect the transmitters. However, short-time blocking of AM wave outputs may cause silent time in broadcast audio signals received by a receiver and thus interruption of sound for example, which may result in auditorily undesirable broadcasting.
The embodiments has been devised in consideration to the above. An object thereof is to provide a broadcast continuation assistance device, and a control method for a broadcast continuation assistance device and computer program product which can mitigate the influence of a silent state on a listener even when the silent state occurs (short-time blocking of AM wave outputs) upon occurrence of anomaly.